Katharina Menz

3.1. Junior Career

Menz began her competitive judo career at the junior level, quickly making an impact. In 2009, she participated in the World Junior Championships held in Paris, France. Competing in the -44 kg weight class, she reached the final but was defeated by Japan's Chika Yomogita, earning a silver medal. Following this achievement, she transitioned to the -48 kg category. Her talent was recognized early, leading to her selection for the German national team in 2010. In the same year, she placed fifth at the U23 European Championships.

3.2. Early Senior Career (2010s)

Menz moved into the senior circuit, gradually establishing herself as a formidable competitor. While she did not immediately achieve significant results after transitioning to the -48 kg class, her breakthrough on the IJF World Judo Tour came in 2017 when she secured a bronze medal at the Grand Prix The Hague, marking her first medal on the tour. She continued to build on this success, earning another bronze medal at the Grand Slam Ekaterinburg in 2018. The year 2019 proved particularly fruitful, as she won bronze medals at the Grand Prix Marrakesh, Grand Prix Hohhot, and Grand Slam Abu Dhabi. During this period, she also represented Germany at the 2019 European Games held in Minsk, Belarus, where she competed in the women's -48 kg event, although she was eliminated in her first match. She also won a bronze medal at the 2019 Oceania Open Perth.

3.3. Major International Competitions (2020s onwards)

From 2020 onwards, Katharina Menz solidified her position among the elite judokas, participating in and medaling at major international events. In 2020, she earned a bronze medal in the women's -48 kg event at the 2020 European Judo Championships held in Prague, Czech Republic.

In 2021, she competed in the women's -48 kg event at the Judo World Masters in Doha, Qatar. Later that year, she represented Germany at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. In the individual women's -48 kg event, she was eliminated in her first match, losing to Mary Dee Vargas Le of Chile. However, she was a member of the German mixed team, which secured a bronze medal in the inaugural mixed team event at the Olympics. Although she was registered for the team event, she did not participate in any of the actual matches, but still received a medal as part of the team.

The year 2022 saw significant success for Menz. She achieved a gold medal at the European Open Madrid and a bronze at the European Open Riccione. Her most notable achievement that year was at the 2022 World Judo Championships in Tashkent, where she advanced to the final in the women's -48 kg category, ultimately earning a silver medal after being defeated by reigning world champion Natsumi Tsunoda. In 2023, she competed in the women's -48 kg event at the 2023 World Judo Championships in Doha and also won a bronze medal at the Oceania Open Perth. She again represented Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, where she was eliminated in her first match in the women's -48 kg event. As of June 25, 2024, her IJF world ranking stood at 21st with 1,873 points.

4.1. Olympic Games

4.2. World Championships

4.3. European Championships

4.4. IJF World Tour and Other Competitions